Texas Lt. Governor Pays His Respects to Sheriff Flournoy in Person

June 24-27, 1975

One of the many dignitaries in the crowd of over 1,800 people who congregated at the Fayette County Fairgrounds for the barbecue honoring our longtime Sheriff T.J. Flournoy was Texas Lt. Governor William P. (Bill) Hobby. The event was described as a huge success.

Two Corpus Christi women, ages 21 and 26, were charged with auto theft in Judge A.V. Smith’s justice of the peace court in La Grange. The females were apprehended by State Highway Patrolmen A.F. Hall and Kenneth Schmidt west of La Grange on Hwy. 71. Both women were charged with theft of a late model Olds and possession of a controlled drug. The younger female was also charged with having no driver’s license and speeding.

A high-speed chase Sunday night that started in downtown La Grange, wound through the southern part of town, out on Hwy. 77 to FM 2436 and FM 609, and ended with the arrest of a 17-year-old youth about six miles north of Flatonia. The young Smithville male, who was charged in La Grange, was apprehended by City Patrolman Darrell Koopmann, who inaugurated the chase, with assistance from other officers.

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Koenig of La Grange were guests of honor in a group of dependents enjoying a typical day of operations aboard a U.S. Navy fleet ballistic missile submarine. Commanded by the Koenig’s son, Cmdr. John Weldon Koenig, the USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN 641), left its homeport of Charleston, S. C., and steamed into the Atlantic for a cruise with its crew of 124 enlisted men, 14 officers and 150 parents, wives, children and friends. The ship steamed on the surface for five hours on a bright, calm day as porpoises played in the bow wake. Then, when it reached deep water, the familiar sound to submarine men, “Dive!” was heard and the 8,000-ton man of war submerged. The Koenigs said they were surprised that the ocean became very calm and there was no sensation of movement as the ship maneuvered beneath the surface of the ocean. A look through the periscope provided a bird’s eye view of the surface, showing no other vessels in sight.

Fayette Water Supply Cor-poration officially received its $300,000 loan from Farmers Home Administration earmarked for the first well and initial distribution system. The well, already drilled, had tentatively been approved by the Texas State Health Department, FHA and the corporation’s board of directors. To be formally accepted, a board spokesperson said, the well had to produce an adequate amount of potable domestic water for at least 155 customers. Contractor Leroy Richter of Flatonia drilled the well a mile southeast of Guenther Airport, north of Buckner’s Creek.

The Yankees of the La Grange Little League wouldn’t win the 1975 championship, but they had already registered an all-time first. One of the players on their roster was a girl. After the matter of females playing in Little League had been decided in court, several young La Grange ladies appeared for Little League tryouts. One, Cheryl Ray, made it to ‘the majors,’ and the others wound up on the farm teams. Yankee Manager Calvin Knippel said, “Cheryl had an edge over the other girls because she’s been playing baseball with her brothers all her life.”

The La Grange Braves picked up a victory in Monday night action in the Tri-County Teenage League. The Braves maintained their firm two-game lead in the north zone. Ricky Dipple went the route, fanning 12 and issuing only two singles, as the Braves overwhelmed Eagle Lake, 12-2, at Eagle Lake. Dipple also led the Braves’ nine-hit attack with a single, double and triple. Donnie Bertsch had two singles, Kenny Weber slammed a double, and Michael Roberts, Mike Kovar and Richard Chovanec picked up one single each.

Funeral services were held for: Ralph E. Anderson, 81, of Rutersville; Alma Niebuhr, 90, of Industry; Mrs. Paula Falkenberg, 71, a Round Top native; Alvin Logan, 61, of Ellinger; Elo A. Knippel, 84, of Fayetteville; and Carl Pietsch, 67, of La Grange.

Colorado County Federal Savings & Loan Association of Columbus opened a branch office in Schulenburg at 602 Lyons Ave. The manager, Lewis Nex, had previously served as Schulenburg’s city manager for approximately 20 years. Mrs. Eugenia Reeves was the office assistant.

Three area high school graduates were the 1975-76 recipients of the Catholic Women’s Fraternal of Texas (KJZT) scholarships. They were: Marilyn Jane Kallus of La Grange, a graduate of La Grange High School, enrolled at Blinn Junior College; Jennifer Cernoch of Weimar; and Janice Stryk of Schulenburg. Both Jennifer and Janice were graduates of Bishop Forest High School and planned to attend Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio.

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Hinze of the La Bahia community celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on June 7 at the La Bahia Hall with a barbecued chicken dinner for 250 guests. Pastor H. C. Krause of Carmine gave a short devotional and the table prayer. Miss Laverne Jaeger and Roger Hinze were married on June 4, 1950, in the Carmine Martin Luther Lutheran Church by the late Rev. A. T. Kluge.

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